Defendant Summary

The Defendant Summary page allows you to view and manage the information from the Defendant Insurance and Defendant Attorneys case pages, and to view the defendant-centric SOLs from the Critical Deadlines case page. It also allows you to view and manage the defendants' roles and inclusion in the case. Managing defendants' insurance and attorneys can be done either on this page or the respective specialized case pages; the Defendant Summary page simply collects those functions in a single place. By contrast, adding or removing defendants after the case is created can only be performed on this page.

The Structure of This Page

Note: The Add Insurance Company button, Insurance Companies table, Add Law Firm button, Law Firms table, and SOLs table are all associated with an individual row of the Defendants table, and only appear if the row is set to display subtables. For that reason, whether these tables appear in your Defendant Summary page, and where in the Defendants table they appear, will depend on which row, if any, of the Defendants table is set to display subtables.

Open

1. Add Defendant button. Used to add a new defendant to the case file.

2. Defendants table. Contains the defendant details and allows various actions to be performed on them.

3. Add Insurance Company button. Used to add a new insurance policy to the case file.

4. Insurance Companies table. Contains the insurance policy details and allows various actions to be performed on them.

5. Add Law Firm button. Used to add a new law firm to the case file.

6. Law Firms table. Contains the attorney details and allows various actions to be performed on them.

7. Add Defendant SOL button: Used to add a new defendant SOL to the case file. See Adding an SOL.

8. SOLs table. Contains the details of defendant-centric SOLs.

9. Add Non-Party Contacts (Defendants): Used to add a new individual connected to the case but not named as a defendant or other party to the case file.

10. Non-Party Contacts table (Defendants): Contains the details of non-party individuals and allows various actions to be performed on them.

Defendants Table

The Defendants table is where the details of defendants are stored. Each row of the table represents an individual defendant. See Tables for general information about table structure and usage, including all buttons and other tools in this table that are not mentioned below.

Columns in the Table

The Defendants table contains the following columns:

Open

1. [column with no title]: A right arrow (˃) in this column indicates that additional information is available for the row in which the right arrow is located (in this instance, Insurance Companies, Law firms, and SOLs for that defendant). Clicking on the right arrow opens the subtables for that defendant. The right arrow then turns into a down arrow (˅) which, when clicked, closes the subtable.

2. Defendant Name: The defendant in the case, whether the defendant is the primary one in the case, the SOL deadline or date of compliance, and the answer due or received date.

3. Role: The defendant's role in the inciting incident of the case.

4. Claims: Whether the defendant has initiated a counter-claim or a third-party claim in connection with the case.

5. Insurance: The insurance company and adjuster associated with the defendant's insurance policy.

6. Law Firm: The law firm, primary attorney, and primary paralegal representing the defendant.

7. Comments: Any comments about the defendant.

8. Docs: The number of documents associated with the defendant and a link to the documents in the Documents case page.

9. Group: The defendant group to which the defendant belongs.

10. [column with no title]: Right-click icon; right-click menu contains Edit, Delete, Add New Insurance Co., and Add New Law Firm.

Editing a Defendant

To edit a defendant:

1. Click the right-click icon in the untitled column of the row representing the defendant you wish to edit, or right-click anywhere in that row. This will bring up a menu of options.

2. Click the Edit option in the menu. This will bring up an Add/Edit panel for defendants, with the existing information filled in.

3. Fill the fields in with your desired information. See The Add/Edit Defendant Panel for details about the fields.

4. Click Save to save the changes and close the panel.

   • If you decide you do not wish to save the changes, click Cancel instead of clicking Save to undo the changes and close the panel. You can also click the white X at the upper right of the panel to do the same thing.

Deleting a Defendant

To delete a defendant:

1. Make sure the defendant you wish to delete is not the primary defendant; if you attempt to delete the primary defendant, the SmartAdvocate system will display an error message instead of deleting the defendant. If the defendant you wish to delete is the primary defendant, you must edit that defendant and deselect the Primary Checkbox, or edit another defendant and select that defendant as primary, to remove the primary designation from the defendant you wish to delete.

2. Click the right-click icon in the untitled column of the row representing the defendant you wish to delete, or right-click anywhere in that row. This will bring up a menu of options.

3. Click the Delete option in the menu. This will bring up a confirmation message (to avoid accidental deletions).

4. Click the OK button in the message to confirm the deletion.

   • If you decide you do not wish to delete the defendant, click Cancel instead of clicking OK to cancel the deletion. You can also click the black X at the upper right of the message to do the same thing.

   • Until you either confirm or cancel the deletion, you may not be able to visit any other tab in your browser.

Adding a Defendant

To add a new defendant:

1. Click the Add Defendant button. This will bring up an Add/Edit panel for defendants, completely blank.

2. Fill the fields in with your desired information. See The Add/Edit Defendant Panel for details about the fields.

3. Click Save to save the defendant and close the panel.

   • If you decide you do not wish to save the defendant, click Cancel instead of clicking Save to undo the changes and close the panel. You can also click the white X at the upper right of the panel to do the same thing.

4. You can also replace a defendant in a case. This can be particularly useful when a default defendant (frequently John Doe) was added to the case automatically and you are ready to replace the default defendant with the actual defendant.

   • Click the right-click icon in the untitled column of the row representing the defendant you wish to replace, or right-click anywhere in that row. This will bring up a menu of options.

   • Click the Edit option in the menu.

   • Select the actual defendant. Any information connected to the original defendant, such as role, whether he or she was the primary defendant, etc., will not be connected to the new defendant.

   • Click the Save button in the message to save the new defendant.

     • If you decide you do not wish to replace the defendant, click Cancel instead of clicking OK to cancel the replacement. You can also click the white X at the upper right of the message to do the same thing.

Removing a Defendant from the Case

You can remove a defendant from the case without deleting the defendant. This can prevent significant confusion and loss of data, since at the time of removal, there may be substantial information in the case file associated with the defendant. Summarily deleting this data would potentially destroy important information, while leaving it as-is may give a mistaken impression about the defendant's continued involvement in the case. Removing the defendant from the case, as opposed to deleting the defendant, maintains the data but crosses out information to clearly indicate that the defendant is no longer involved. To remove a defendant from the case, simply edit the defendant and select the Remove From Case checkbox. You cannot remove the primary defendant from the case; you must first designate another defendant as the primary defendant.

The Add/Edit Defendant Panel

The Add/Edit Defendant Panel allows you to fill in the details of a defendant. See Add/Edit Panels for general information about panel structure and usage. This panel contains the following fields:

1. Defendant: The defendant in the case.

2. Role: The defendant's role in the inciting incident of the case.

3. Order/Grouping: The defendant group to which the defendant belongs.

4. Primary: Whether the defendant is the primary defendant in the case.

5. Client: Whether your firm represents the defendant.

6. Remove from case: Whether the defendant has been released from the case.

7. Comments: Any comments about this defendant.

Insurance Companies Table

The Insurance Companies table contains the details of a defendant's insurance policies. It contains the same information as the Insurance Companies Table in the Defendant Insurance case page, but only for a single defendant. The Insurance Companies table is a subtable of the Defendants Table, which means that each row of the Defendants table has an individual Insurance Companies table associated with it, which is specific to the defendant in that row; open a row of the Defendants table using the open/close icon to reveal the associated Insurance Companies table. Each row of the table represents an individual insurance policy. See Tables for general information about table structure and usage, including all buttons and other tools in this table that are not mentioned below.

Columns in the Table

The Insurance Companies table contains the following available columns:

1. Insurance Company: The insurance company offering the policy and the company's address.

2. Insurance Type: The type of the insurance and whether it is the defendant's primary insurance.

3. Adjuster: The insurance adjuster for the policy and the adjuster's phone number.

4. Policy Info: The details of the policy (the named insured, the policy number, the policy dates, the claim number, and the policy limits).

5. 3rd Party Insurance: The details of the third-party administrator of the policy (the company administering the policy, the administrator's adjuster for the policy, the adjuster's phone number, and the claim number).

6. Comments: Any comments about the policy.

7. Docs: The number of documents associated with the policy and a link to the documents in the Documents case page.

8. [column with no title]: Right-click icon; right-click menu contains Edit, Copy, and Delete.

Editing an Insurance Policy

To edit an insurance policy:

1. Click the right-click icon in the untitled column of the row representing the policy you wish to edit, or right-click anywhere in that row. This will bring up a menu of options.

2. Click the Edit option in the menu. This will bring up an Add/Edit panel for insurance policies, with the existing information filled in.

3. Fill the fields in with your desired information. See The Add/Edit Insurance Panel for details about the fields.

4. Click Save to save the changes and close the panel.

   • If you decide you do not wish to save the changes, click Cancel instead of clicking Save to undo the changes and close the panel. You can also click the white X at the upper right of the panel to do the same thing.

Deleting an Insurance Policy

To delete an insurance policy:

1. Click the right-click icon in the untitled column of the row representing the policy you wish to delete, or right-click anywhere in that row. This will bring up a menu of options.

2. Click the Delete option in the menu. This will bring up a confirmation message (to avoid accidental deletions).

3. Click the OK button in the message to confirm the deletion.

   • If you decide you do not wish to delete the policy, click Cancel instead of clicking OK to cancel the deletion. You can also click the black X at the upper right of the message to do the same thing.

   • Until you either confirm or cancel the deletion, you may not be able to visit any other tab in your browser.

Adding an Insurance Policy

To add a new insurance policy:

1. Click the Add Insurance Companies button. This will bring up an Add/Edit panel for insurance policies, completely blank.

2. Fill the fields in with your desired information. See The Add/Edit Insurance Panel for details about the fields.

3. Click Save to save the policy and close the panel.

   • If you decide you do not wish to save the policy, click Cancel instead of clicking Save to undo the changes and close the panel. You can also click the white X at the upper right of the panel to do the same thing.

Copying an Insurance Policy

You can add a new insurance policy by copying the information of an existing one. This can be useful if a policy applies to multiple defendants in the case, or if a defendant has multiple types of policies from the same insurer. To copy an insurance policy:

1. Click the right-click icon in the Action column of the row representing the policy you wish to copy, or right-click anywhere in that row. This will bring up a menu of options.

2. Click the Copy option in the menu. This will bring up an Add/Edit panel for insurance policies, with the information from the policy being copied filled in.

3. Make any changes necessary to the information in the fields. See The Add/Edit Insurance Panel for details about the fields.

4. Click Save to save the policy and close the panel.

   • If you decide you do not wish to save the policy, click Cancel instead of clicking Save to undo the copying and close the panel. You can also click the white X at the upper right of the panel to do the same thing.

The Add/Edit Insurance Panel

The Add/Edit Insurance Panel allows you to fill in the details of an insurance policy. See Add/Edit Panels for general information about panel structure and usage. This panel contains the following fields:

1. Defendant: The defendant covered by the policy.

2. Insurance Company: The insurance company providing the policy.

3. Primary: Whether the policy is the defendant's primary insurance. No defendant can have more than one primary policy; if this field is selected when the policy is saved, it will automatically be deselected in every other policy covering the same defendant.

4. Insurance Type: The type of the insurance.

5. Include on the Case Summary: A checkbox to indicate whether this insurance policy should be included on the Case Summary page.

6. Adjuster: The insurance adjuster for the policy. If the Show All checkbox in the dropdown is not selected, the dropdown will only show adjusters employed by the contact in the Insurance Company field; otherwise, the dropdown will show all adjusters.

7. [Adjuster Table]: A table listing all of the adjusters added in connection with this policy.

8. Name of Insured: The named insured of the policy. If the Select from Plaintiffs and/or Select from Defendants checkbox in the dropdown is selected, the dropdown will only show the plaintiffs and/or the defendants in the case, respectively.

9. Policy Number: The identification number of the policy.

10. Claim Number: The identification number of the claim on the policy related to the case.

11. Group Number: The identification number of the group plan.

12. ID Number: The identification number of the defendant in the plan.

13. Policy Start Date: The start date of the policy.

14. Policy End Date: The end date of the policy.

15. Policy Limits [Individual]: The maximum payment per individual event or injured person.

16. Policy Limits [Aggregate]: The maximum payment per policy period or across all injured people.

17. DED: The deductible applied under the policy.

18. Comments: Any comments about the policy.

19. Add to Total Coverage: Whether the coverage available under this policy should be considered part of the total available coverage in the case. If this field is selected, the value of the Current Coverage Amount field is part of the sum listed in the Liability Coverage line in the Case Summary page.

20. MV Leased: Whether the vehicle covered by the policy is leased.

21. Available Coverage Amount: The amount of coverage currently available through this policy. Unless the Amount to be Added to Total Coverage field is selected, this field is uneditable.

22. Organization [TPA]: The organization serving as third-party administrator of the insurance policy.

23. Adjuster [TPA]: The third-party administrator's insurance adjuster for the policy. If the Show All checkbox in the dropdown is not selected, the dropdown will only show adjusters employed by the contact in the Insurance Company field; otherwise, the dropdown will show all adjusters. When the selection in this field changes, the Phone Number [TPA] field is automatically set to the primary phone number of the selected adjuster.

24. Claim Number [TPA]: The third-party administrator's identification number for the claim on the policy related to the case.

Third Party Action Table

The Third Party Action table contains the details of third party actions that that have been filed in the case. govern actions directed at a particular defendant. Each row of the table represents an individual third party action. See Tables for general information about table structure and usage, including all buttons and other tools in this table that are not mentioned below.

Columns in the Table

The Third Party Action table contains the following columns:

1. TP Plaintiff: The plaintiff who filed the third party action.

2. Plaintiff Law Firm: The law firm that filed the third party complaint on behalf of the third party plaintiff.

3. Plaintiff Attorney: The attorney who represents the third party plaintiff in connection with the third party complaint.

4. TP Defendant: The defendant named in the third party complaint.

5. Defendant Law Firm: The law firm representing the third party defendant.

6. Defendant Attorney: The attorney who represents the third party defendant in connection with the third party complaint.

7. Insu. Co./Adjusting:

8. Adjuster:

9. Claim #:

10. Law Firm File #:

11. TP Index #:

12. Action:

 
Editing a Non-Party Contacts
To edit a Non-Party Contact:

1. Click the Edit icon in the Action column of the row representing the party you wish to edit. This will bring up an Add/Edit panel for non-party contacts, with the existing information filled in.

2. Fill the fields in with your desired information.

3. Click Save to save the changes and close the panel.

   • If you decide you do not wish to save the changes, click Cancel instead of clicking Save to undo the changes and close the panel. You can also click the white X at the upper right of the panel to do the same thing.

Deleting a Non-Party Contacts
To delete a Non-Party Contacts:

1. Click the Delete icon in the Action column of the row representing the party you wish to delete. This will bring up a confirmation message (to avoid accidental deletions).

2. Click the OK button in the message to confirm the deletion.

   • If you decide you do not wish to delete the party, click Cancel instead of clicking OK to cancel the deletion. You can also click the black X at the upper right of the message to do the same thing.

   • Until you either confirm or cancel the deletion, you may not be able to visit any other tab in your browser.

Adding a Non-Party Contacts
To add a new Non-Party Contacts:

1. Click the Add Non-Party Contacts button. This will bring up an Add/Edit panel for non-plaintiff parties, completely blank.

2. Fill the fields in with your desired information.

3. Click Save to save the party and close the panel.

   • If you decide you do not wish to save the party, click Cancel instead of clicking Save to undo the changes and close the panel. You can also click the white X at the upper right of the panel to do the same thing.

The Add/Edit Non-Party Contacts (Defendants) Panel
The Add/Edit Non-Party Contacts (Defendants) Panel allows you to fill in the details of a Non-Party Contacts. See Add/Edit Panels for general information about panel structure and usage. This panel contains the following fields:

1. Non-Party Contacts: The name of the Non-Party Contact.

2. Defendant: The defendant on whose behalf the Non-Party Contact is acting.

3. Comment: Any comments about the Non-Party Contact.